This invention relates to the art of pneumatic wave generators for use in generating waves in a wave pool.
Pneumatic wave generators are known in the art and are typically employed for creating various wave patterns in a water filled wave pool. Such wave pools have become very popular at water amusement parks and municipal parks in the United States, as well as in foreign countries. They generally comprise a pool having a caisson structure located at one end thereof with the caisson structure being divided into a plurality of wave generating chambers. These chambers are aligned side-by-side across the width of the pool at one end thereof. Each chamber has a below the water passageway in communication with the pool and a sealed portion located above the normal water level of the pool. Forced air, as from a motor driven blower, is directed into various of the chambers forcing water downwardly in the chambers and through the below the water passageway so as to create waves in the pool. Different wave patterns may be created by directing forced air into various combinations of the wave chambers and at various sequences. This is achieved in part by controlling air directing valves located intermediate the source of forced air and the various wave generating chambers. Such valves and associated accessories, including motor driven blowers and the like, operate in timed cycles throughout an operating day which may well be on the order of 12 hours per day for seven days per week over six or more months while the water park is in operation. Consequently, down time for maintenance and repair is of significant concern to water park operators. It is important, then, to minimize the number of moving parts employed for creating the various wave patterns to be used by the water park operator.
The Schuster U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,877 et al. discloses a wave pool having a plurality of wave chambers, together with an air directing valving arrangement for directing air into various of the chambers for creating waves in the pool. The air directing valve arrangement includes a two-way valve device which communicates with a source of forced air and with two adjacent wave generating chambers, each of which has an inlet-outlet passageway for receiving air by way of the valve arrangement or for exhausing air into the surrounding atmosphere or equipment room. The two-way valve arrangement serves in its normal operation to direct air into one of two chambers while exhausting air from the other chamber. This arrangement does not provide for forcing air into both chambers simultaneously. This, then, limits the combinations of wave patterns that may be generated by such a valve arrangement.
Another form of pneumatic wave generator known in the prior art takes the form as illustrated in the D. Bastenhof U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,467,483 and 4,558,474. The wave generator systems disclosed in the Bastenhof patents include a separate valve arrangement for each wave generating chamber for communicating air from a source of forced air into wave generating chamber. Each chamber has a dedicated inlet passage and a dedicated outlet passage. The valve arrangement for each chamber includes an inlet valve and an outlet valve with a common drive therebetween so that whenever the inlet valve is closed, the outlet valve is open and vice versa. This, then, presents a substantial amount of equipment and moving parts as opposed to the two-way valve arrangement of Schuster, supra, which is employed in conjunction with directing air into and out of two adjacent chambers.